Plastic pitch set for The Falkirk Stadium

David Oliver

Club chairman Martin Ritchie has told fans at Falkirk’s final home game of the season the first team will be returning to the town.

Currently, the likes of Lyle Taylor and Craig Sibbald train at the club’s base at the University of Stirling, but as he revealed to The Falkirk Herald in November last year, the Bairns want a plastic pitch installed at The Falkirk Stadium to maximise revenue at the Westfield site and reduce costs incurred by hire.

Ritchie confirmed the plans during a half-time address during this afternoon’s match with Morton.

He said: “The first team will be returning to the town.

“We will also be looking at ways of developing our Academy with Stenhousemuir and the SFA.”

Gary Holt, the first team manager, was in Holland yesterday assessing surfaces there, however the plans have met opposition.

Long-time shareholder David Lapsley recently wrote to The Falkirk Herald in opposition to the club’s plans and took to the stage at the annual awards dinner on Wednesday night with a bag of grass seed and poster objecting to any switch in surface.